Sex & Rivalry
by Swallowing.RaInDrOpS
Summary: Trilogy Part 1 of 3. Modern AU. After a tragic loss, Naruto must learn survive without the important people he thought would be by his side forever.  sasunaru, sasusaku
1. ExCepTion

First of all! I've always wanted to write a SasuNaru fic, I just never had any big ideas for it, 'til now! Muawahahaha!

Ahem…

I want to start off with a bang [or one or two oneshots] and I really want this story to be a heart grabbing love story, & the way I do that is with patient readers. Namely you -_point point_-.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Naruto Shippuden, if I did I'd run all my episodes by my fans before making it an official episode.

So please, enjoy.

_

* * *

_

_When I was younger I saw _

_My daddy cry. . .and curse at the wind._

-_Paramore-_

**Ch.1 ExCepTion**.

"Daddy."

But Daddy couldn't hear me outside of our rocket -well…lately Daddy had been calling it the 'car'-'cause it was raining outside.

I could barely see what Daddy was doing through the foggy window if not for the white light flashing, but I already knew.

He was celebrating his an Momma's anniversary.

Daddy was still in the same position though, hunched over in the muddy ground of Momma's grave, one hand on her pretty stone and the other resting by his side gripping a clear bottle of the sour smelling stuff inside.

I grabbed the big umbrella and got out, being careful not to trample any of the flowers me and Momma'suke (Momma's best friend, my god Momma) planted when I was five(But I'm 8 now, a big boy.) and stood behind Daddy, shielding him with the big umbrella.

"Daddy its time ta' go. Its 12'o'clock." I had promised to tell him when their anniversary was over or else we'd spend the night again.

Daddy always looked kinda ghosty afterwards.

His face would be all pale'n his eyes would be less bright. It'd take a lotta tickling to get regular Daddy back.

"Naruto." Daddy looked up in surprise, when he was with Momma they kinda forgot I was there, but then he'd look at me with a smile.

"Naruto, say night to Mom."

I walked up to Momma's stone and kissed the top lightly. "Night Momma." Then I added quietly, "Don't worry Momma, I'll love Daddy some more. Today he almost forgot about coming."

I handed Daddy the umbrella, he took my hand, we walked to the car-rocket.

When I was seven, Momma died. Everyone I asked told me it was a 'birth defect' (I only get that it must've been pretty nasty 'cause they all get a mean look on their face.) but I remember all my visits to the hospital.

* * *

"_Momma is gonna go away soon."_

_A redheaded beauty spoke softly to her lil'fluffball. He shifted in her covered lap._

"_Is't 'cause of your 'birth detect'?"_

_Despite the seriousness in those big, cornflower blue eyes, Kushina laughed at her little baby. Naruto pouted._

**000000000000000oooooo**

"_I need you to do something for me, Naru-chan."_

_The six year old boy snuggled into his Momma's warm belly, playing with a strand of the strawberry red hair that fell from her hair clip, mewling in understanding when she poked his cheek softly._

"_Hai?" He looked up with a big smile._

"_When I leave, Daddy is gonna be sad. I need my big boy to help Daddy forget."_

"_Forget Momma? But-"_

"_Iie. Never forget Momma. Just forget all the sad okay? Only the happies."_

_Naruto blinked._

"_Can you do that for Momma?"_

"_Hai!" He bounced on the hospital bed excitedly_

"_Promise? You'll never give up?" Kushina smiled, getting him riled up. _

_Naruto grinned, eyes closed, arms crossed, "I never go back on my word." _

_He bounced over to Kushina's open arms and fell into a hug. He liked the snug fit, nuzzling into her when a few droplets fell into his blonde curls._

"_That's all I ask."_

* * *

I sighed happily when Daddy's slender fingers ran through my hair. Using my awesome ninja stealth, I peeked out of my lid and got hypnotized in the way the red light colored in his face. I couldn't help but think…_I really love my Daddy_. That he's my _favorite_ person and I always want him to be happy with _me_.

I found myself _wishing_ for it.

That I always want my Daddy to look at _me_ and no one else…but my wish can't come true with no stars in the sky.

* * *

& viola! Please report any typo's or errors I might have over-looked [as I often do]. This was the first chapter of Sex & Rivalry, I want the first few chaoters to reflect and tell Naruto's story up unil his present lfe at about 14 or 15 (set in the Naruto phase, not the Naruto Shippuden phase, just so there's no confusion later on.)

With each chapter I put up here, I also wanna try to write atleast 1 one-shot afterwords, just to get better at writing.

Kera: **NOTE **she said write not publish. Dont be fooled!

Traitor to the fifth power! -_chases-_

_~Don't forget to Swallow those Raindrops_


	2. Like You

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Evanesvence, Paramore, or any other song lyrics used; their is nothing but gud wholesome fun going on when I decide what music I'm using. Actually the only thing I have the rights to in this chapter is probably the choice of middle name I gave to Itachi...

Now just afew announcements...

_Ha! Made you look!_

That is all. Enjoys yo' drug free chapter! ((_now with 12% mpre drugs.))_

_

* * *

_

_I hate me_

_For breathing…Without you._

_I don't want to feel anymore_

_For you._

_-Evanescence-_

**Ch.2. Like You**

"Do I halfta' go ta' school!" Naruto Namizake Uzumaki, 12 years old and cute as a button, grimaced as his Granny readjusted his uniform tie.

Tsunade rolled her penny brown eyes at the boy. "Yes brat! Now stop squirming!"

She turned around to grab his brush and found him a mess once again. That fox grin plastered over his face, shirt unbuttoned to show the loud orange one underneath, and his black tie knotted as a headband.

"When's Dad gettin' back?"

Tsunade's vein twitched when that Yankee way of talking invaded her ears yet again.

"Naruto your Dad is very busy. Being president of Konoha Industrial Tech is a big responsibility."

She said stuff like that, but Naru could hear a swell of pride in her tone. Feeling a little jealous when the attention ceased, he grabbed his pack and headed out.

"The ramen you boiled this mornin' was subpar at best, Old Hag. Learn how to make it or leave."

He slammed the door just in time to avoid the frying pan and sporks thrown in his direction. "You ungrateful brat! Learn how to not butcher the Japanese language!"

Naruto continued grinning; crossing his arms behind his head he made his way up the street. Sure it was the opposite way to school, don't worry he'd go, just as soon as he picked up a couple of sacks.

* * *

"_If I were you, I wouldn't do it." _

"_If you were me, you'd be sexy."_

_Shikamaru rolled his eyes lazily and continued to watch the clouds roll by from inside Konohagakure Hospital._

_Konoha was a huge corporation, one of the richest business's in Tokyo, it was built from the ground up by an old dead guy and was now being run by Mr. and Mrs. Namizake. They made millions and invested in things for the community, but it all sounded to troublesome for 7 year old Shikamaru Nara to comprehend._

"_So are you gonna do it?" He eyed his two friends, 'Chubsy Chouji', and Kiba Inuzuka. He met them by coincidence while he and his Dad were visiting his grandpa, he'd met Kiba visiting his sister, and Chouji just wouldn't stop following him since he'd got there._

"_Kiba, I agree with Shikamaru-san-"_

"_No surprise there." Kiba droned._

_Chouji stuck his tongue out and then stuck it back on his ice cream, "all the Nurses say not to go near that kid."_

"_So? The Nurses also say don't feed 'Chubsy Chouji'after midnight, but we don't listen then do we?"_

"_Maybe we should start listening to that one." Shikamaru said under his breath._

_Chouji threw his paper cone at Kiba, missing by a hair, and sat up…slowly._

"_What's with you anyway, Inuzuka? Why the sudden interest in the Uzumaki kid?" Shikamaru sat up and started looking around for his Dad, since visiting hours were almost up._

" '_Cause the kid seems like a total nutcase! All the staff hates him, but he walks around with this weird scent around him an he's all smiley and innocent. He's up to some sort of evil ninja plan 'er something I know it! He's freaky!"_

"_Evil ninja plan." Shikamaru smirked, "Right."_

"_Maybe Kiba's the one with the mental issues. Seriously, who stalks someone so much they get their scent?" _

"_Chouji-kun, Shika-chan, it's time to go!" _

_Shikamaru cringed at his Dad's crude '-Chan' at the end of his name. If he'd known his ponytail would cause that reaction, he would've never agreed to make it his statement. _

"_Kiba! You too!" Kiba shook at his Ma's unnecessarily loud voice._

"_Yeah, Yeah Ma, I'm comin'!" _

_As the three boys left, a tiny blonde haired lad gripped his bag of chips tighter, put on a happy smile and made his way to room 402._

* * *

He knocked.

Well, knocking is the best way to describe that bloody animal battle going on behind his door. A young man with hair the color of a starless night arose from his sleep with a glare. His clock mocked him dangerously with its neon blinking: **7:15 a.m.**

Who the hell had enough balls to wake him up this early? (Well besides his Mother)

Suddenly, some bright ball of _too_ much energy pounced, contrasting with his grey striped sheets.

"Ita'suke Nii-chan! What're you doin' here?"

"Was I mistaken in thinking I lived here?" He certainly couldn't rain on Naruto's parade, since the little sunray just kept shining on him, irritatingly so.

"I didn't know Akatsuki Boarding gave vacations." The kid looked so innocent when he snooped around for information, besides Itachi never could deny either of his brothers, birthed or adopted, attention.

"I got chosen as valedictorian, I'm president of student council, and my Father owns part of a company that donates more in a week than most do in a year."

Naruto sat crossed legged on Itachi's lap, slurping a cup ramen from his backpack, (The hell did that come from?) and actually listening.

"So basically, you got out because you're a geek." And just when you think he's done, he pulls off the great Itachi Nobu Uchiha smirk.

"Sasuke's in the shower."

The scream of, "You're the best Ita'suke Nii-chan!" was heard in the hallway as Naruto raced out of his room. Itachi watched the dust smoke clear, pulled the blanket back around his naked torso, and smirked.

"Yes. I know."

* * *

Sasuke is an early riser.

Family knows this, Friends know this, stalkers, and fans know this.

Then there was his, and still sometimes he would cringe at the thought, _best friend _Naruto knows this. And while most appreciated the do not disturb aura, Naruto is a different case entirely.

Which is really the only way you can describe what Naruto was thinking the moment he popped on Mrs. Uchiha's red hair clips into short pigtails, (with her permission of course.) removed his 2nd favorite towel, the dark blue with Uchiha crest's all over it tightened around his chest, from the guest bathroom, and spread like an eagle on Sasuke's bed.

'_Now what kind of friend would I be if I didn't help Sasuke get it up in the morning?'_

It was like Ol'Jiraya Jii (perverted old gramps to the neighbors) always said, 'There's no shame in the masturbating game.'

Steam escaped from Sasuke's bathroom in a milky haze and Naruto took this moment to sit up on the bed, arms and grin spread wide.

"Good morning Sa-!"

Ever get that feeling after hanging upside down that the blood rushing to your head is pushing around your eyeballs? Or before seeing an ex-loved again you think 'everything's going to be fine, the love does _everything _to show that they've moved on with their life?

Or even worse, that feeling you get when you're watching something and you just _know_ something bad is about to happen, but you're frozen? Your hearts filling up to the point of explosion, you're stuck in one position, you stop blinking…you stop…breathing?

Well I'm pretty sure that's…

"Ku…"

What Naruto…

"Ra…?"

Was thinking…

* * *

Ja Jam! I just thought of this interesting lil'twist. I like it! Also, I've decided that I might make this story a 8 or 9 chapter long one.

Kera: Ha! A copula sacks

Perv! Ahem anyway-

Please report any spelling or grammar..ackel…errors that you might've seen or thought you saw. Or anything you didn't understand in this or any other chapter.

~_& remember to keep swallowing those raindrops_


	3. Stay With Me

_When open my eyes_

_And you're not there,_

_I feel an emptiness_

_Do you care?_

_-STEPS-_

**Ch.3. Stay With Me**

* * *

The day went on just as Naruto had planned.

He, Sasuke, and Sakura met up with Gaara and Temari, (sack numbers 1 and 2) then he and Temari laughed 'til his chest hurt.

**0000000000000oooooooooooo**

'_You two are together? I don't buy it.' Temari croaked. _

'_Well believe it! Tell'em Sasuke-kun.' Sakura blushed, pulling on a glaring Sasuke's shirt. He glared even more at Naruto, seeing the idiot ready to burst from laughter yet again._

"_Come on Uchiha, you can tell us if it's a blackmailing thing. Oh! It's a prank isn't it?" Temari nudged him from behind._

"_Her, blackmail me? That'd never happen." _

"_Arigatou, Naruto." Sakura whispered, relinquishing her grip on Sasuke's arm to embrace Naruto around the neck. The others stared confused._

_Naruto grinned and patted the girls' back. "No prob."_

* * *

But that was in the past, it was now the afternoon-or what 7th graders like Naruto called 'Only seven more minutes until lunch.'

Their math teacher Asuma-Sensei seemed to just drone on and on about numbers doing it with letters to the point where even that pervy Sai kid couldn't make it a descent joke, so Naruto decided to stare at the clock.

Until a balled up piece of paper hit his knuckle and broke his concentration.

'_So. Sasuke & Sakura… Really?_ It read. Naruto couldn't help but think Gaara had such girly handwriting.

'_Yep'_

'_Naruto has such girly handwriting.' _Gaara though while carefully deciding how to word his next question.

'_& this conspired how?'_

'_Weell I might have something to do with it. =^^='_

Despite his will power, Gaara's eye twitched_. _(That damnable little signature of Naruto's always meant trouble.)

'_What in hell possessed you to invite a plague into our village?'_

'_Naaani? Sakura's been a part of our group for half a year._

'_Did we forget that all she did for the first half of that year was shoot down your advances & fling herself at Sasuke as co-president of the damn Sasuke fanclub?'_

(Yes, one of the things Gaara is popular for is his grudge holding)

'_No we did not forget…come on Gaara; I thought you liked her now.'_

After re-reading that particular sentence (go on, re-read it.) Gaara's evil aura, which had considerably dampened since being with Naruto, seemed to double in size.

And just in case you weren't apart of the 'Gaara Fanclub' which came equipped with a handy-dandy Gaara Aura Reader, the scratches his pen made while writing a response to the note would've been a good sign not to screw with him at the moment.

(Hell even the teachers didn't mess with that one, no matter how smart he was.)

'No_ you like her. _I _just barely tolerate her.'_

Naruto smirked at the note; Gaara didn't 'tolerate' any girl who threw themselves at guys. But Sakura was a good friend to Naruto-though he'd had a crush on her from 4th to half of 6th grade year, once she'd given him a short date (by short he meant during lunch while she was drinking from the water fountain) he'd found that while she seemed like the perfect girl from afar, she just wasn't for him.

However, since she'd become like an older sister to him, he took it upon himself to find the perfect guy for her. SO he devised a plan…

_

* * *

_

_11 year old Naruto sat on the bench in front of school, waiting for his friends and scowling at any person who glared at him as they walked._

_5 years in this small town, where no one's business was everyone's business and they still blamed him for his Mother's death. __Naruto sunk in his seat slightly, he really hated when the memory of his Mom entered his thoughts: the time when he wasn't even allowed inside the Hospital and had to sit outside with his Jiraya Jii…_

_He wondered briefly if he was doing a good job at keeping his promise to her, at keeping his Dad happy. He'd kept it a secret for so long…and there was no one he could really go up and ask, 'Hey does my Dad look like he loves me more than he did my Mom? Does he look happier with me?'_

_Besides, what he and his Mom talked about was really no one's business. The more he thought about it, and the more he heard things like, "Hey isn't that Namizake-san's son? The one who k-" _

"_Ssh! We're not supposed to talk about that."_

_The angrier he got. What the hell did they know? What the hell were always talking about, 'isn't that the kid?' _

_what was so wrong with him? _

_Naruto scratched his nails against the wooden bench, feeling the glares of children half his size on him, and felt like he just couldn't take it anymore, like he needed to get away. __A hand slapped against his shoulder, and the boy shot up._

"_Naruto?" He knew that voice, it was Gaara's older sister, she was in 7__th__ and liked to stick up for people. He liked being friends with someone like her…_

"_Naruto?" He knew that voice too, it was his second best friend Gaara's, he was pretty popular, girls liked the whole-distance, don't give a crap-thing they thought he was about. He liked being friends with him too…_

"_Oi, Dobe." He knew that voice like the back of his hand, that smug, smooth voice that drove girls wild. It was his best friend, his absolute best friend Sasuke._

"_I'm not…" His automatic response came out small, weak, and unlike him. _

"_Dobe?" The voice sounded concerned._

_He really liked having a best friend. But what if…_

_Behind his back…_

_These three friends…_

_Talked about him just like everybody else…no, no no, that couldn't be…right. Absolutely_

"_Hey isn't that the crazy kid?"_

"_No I don't think so. Remember, no one hangs around that kid."_

_I'm not._

_I'm not!_

"_It's not like that!" _

_Whose voice was that? Naruto wondered. Whose feet were carrying him into his secret place? Whose voices were calling his name?_

_

* * *

__Naruto struggled to get his body through the shrubs that covered his secret place, his backpack perched carelessly on an old branch. He grunted when he finally ended up breaking though the bushes only to land face first on the grassy floor._

_And that's when he heard a gasp._

'_Kuso!' He thought, grabbing for the thick branch he kept handy for intruders as he scrambled to his feet, ready to strike._

_A small girl, sitting against his big tree, scrubbed at her eyes, pink strands of hair smack against her face if they fell from the white hat she was wearing._

_He noticed she was wearing the school uniform, and the armband specially made for girls in the 'Sasuke's Girls' fanclub._

"_Sakura-Chan?" __She looked up, her opal-green eyes glistening. _

"_Oh, it's you. What do you want Naruto?" She tried to glare, but couldn't even muster up the strength for it._

_He sat in front of her, noting in the back of his mind that she didn't flinch when by her, like the others did. __In fact, he couldn't remember a time when she ever flinched in his presence, even during class when they sat next to each other._

"_Just to see why you're crying." He shrugged._

_Her shoulders sagged and she took off her hat to play with its furry hinges._

"_It's none of your-"_

"_You're in my secret hiding place; it's as much my business as the birds here." He stopped her, making her look up in shock at the determination in his eyes._

_Despite herself, she giggled, "I wish Sasuke-kun concerned himself with me as much as you do."_

_Naruto stuck his chin in the air. _"_Sasuke-teme wishes he could be just like me. He prays to Kami-san for it each night, I bet." _

_Sakura covered her mouth to quiet the loud laugh waiting to spill out. "I'm sure he does."_

_It was when the laughter died down did Sakura realize that, even though she'd never asked for it, Naruto was always helping her, and she just kept turning him away like everyone else, just trying to fit in…_

_She sighed. "Sasuke-kun turned me down again…"_

_Naruto sat beside her now, their shoulders bumping, and for once Sakura didn't push him away. "Well, I can't tell you how to win his love, but I can tell you how to get on good terms with him." __Sakura listened intently._

_... ... ..._

_Sakura looked behind her, seeing Naruto give her encouraging thumbs up from his hiding place behind the trees._

_She'd sent Sasuke a note with Naruto's handwriting asking to meet her in the wooded area behind the school. He'd gotten there, glared and asked why she'd stooped so low as to involve Naruto in her foolishness. But she wouldn't back down…not until she got in his good graces._

"_I…I like you!" Sakura said, suddenly not as nervous as she should've been._

_Sasuke raised his brow. _

"_So?"_

"_So…" she tore off her club armband, and placed it on the ground, "So I realized…this isn't the way to show that I like you. I'm annoying you, causing you trouble, and if I liked you as much as I claimed, this wouldn't be the way to show it…"_

_She bowed quickly and stared at him with a happy look on her face. Sasuke blinked a few times before smirking at her. __It wasn't a big, happy smirk, nor was it a low, seducing smirk, but it was there, and that was definitely a step in the right direction._

_Sasuke turned and walked away, "You shouldn't litter, Sakura. Throw that thing in the garbage it belongs in."_

_Yeah, definitely in the right direction._

* * *

Honestly, all of Sakura's progress thus far had been because of Naruto, and during lunch he made sure to remind everyone.

"So? Aren't you even gonna say thank you, Teme?" Naruto asked while the school ramen rushed down his throat. (Their school chef, the daughter of Ichiraku-san, made the best school ramen he'd ever had)

Sasuke stabbed into the tomato in his salad and raised his brow. "For…what exactly, Dobe?"

"Like you don't know! If not for yours truly, you wouldn't get more than a peak of Sakura-Chan's thigh!"

Sakura and Temari choked on their meals, but both for different reasons.

"Naruto!" Sakura struck him in the back of the head. "Just what the hell are you implying?"

"Well it's not every day two people who are 'dating' walk out of a bathroom together half naked." Gaara rolled his eyes and patted his older sisters' back.

"I told you I was helping her with the stupid hot water." Sasuke glared, biting harshly into his tomato slice.

"Right. Why was your shirt off then?" Naruto asked gleefully.

"I spilled my lotion over it!" Sakura blushed with embarrassment.

"So you spilled your white stuff all over it?" Temari said, her lips trembling with laughter.

Naruto nudged her side. "Guess there was no need for me to be over there then."

She cracked and laid her head in her hands to quiet down her laughing. Naruto followed suit. Sasuke glared at Gaara, daring him to crack that small smirk. His dare accepted, Gaara placed a hand over his mouth and the low chuckle swept across his palm.

* * *

Saturday night found Naruto walking up to the mansion that was the Uchiha household. His grin went from ear to ear, for tonight was 'Scary Movie Marathon!' a sport passed down from generation Kushina/Mikoto to Sasuke and Naruto. Yes this tradition had thrived from the moment Naruto had gazed at the wonderful invention of the Uchiha sized big screen.

"Hey Ma'suke! Sasuke ready yet?" Naruto greeted the beautiful Mrs. Uchiha when she opened the door. Naruto loved the way she always looked so prepared, he swore the women could wake up with the house on fire and still make her way calmly out the door.

Mikoto Uchiha, appointed 'Ma'suke', smiled softly at her tiny sunshine.

"Ohayo Naruto-kun. Did you and Sasuke make it a double date?"

Naruto blushed; the women always insisted that one day she would fulfill her lifelong goal of making Naruto her son-in-law. (She and Kushina had promised to marry their children. Naruto being a _boy_ an all didn't stifle her in the least.)

"Iie! No dating! Never! It's just a movie!"

"Oi Dobe, lower the tempo, you know you'll just end up passing out again."

"That one time Te-!"

Okay…Naruto could admit (because he was so secure in his masculinity of course) that Sasuke, when he wasn't being a smug bastard, could turn heads in a room. But tonight…yeah Naruto forgot how that whole 'breathing' thing worked. Just…Sasuke should wear black more often—A black, buttoned shirt, blue tie, midnight purple belt, and shined dress shoes more often to be exact. Wearing a ratty orange pullover, pocketed black jeans, and old sneaks suddenly made Naruto a little self-conscious.

Mikoto squealed and ran to look over her baby. "You actually got that hair of yours to lay flat. Sakura-san will definitely love that.

Naruto smiled, hiding the DVD's behind his back, "Taking Sakura out again huh?"

Sasuke looked Naruto over, something about the way he was scuffing his shoe against the ground made him anxious…Crap.

"Crap, the movie night. Wait, let me go cancel th-"

"You better not cancel after finally getting that duckbutt you call a hairstyle to flatten!"

"Naruto…"

"Go! Have a good time! We'll do this again next time!" Naruto turned at the sound of heels clicking and whistled.

Sasuke glared at Naruto's stubbornness, "Naruto its ok-"

"Whoa Sakura-Chan you look hot!" Naruto jumped in front of the giggling girl with a smirk.

It looked like she put a lot of effort into tonight, one-strapped red dress to her knees, low black heels, even a new haircut. Naruto felt a discomforting twinge in his heart, '_I think I'm…I'm…holding them up! Yeah! That's what it is! Sasuke put a lot of effort in going out tonight with Sakura I bet!'_

"Sugoi! I wish I was going with you t'night!" Naruto gave the blushing girl a quick push to the door, waved to Mikoto, and made his way back home with a grin.

'_It's cool; we'll do it next weekend!'_

...

Then next weekend came and went.

Then the weekend after that, then two more weekends after that. Before he'd known it, a whole month had passed with no 'Scary Movie Marathon', his Dad still in Tokyo on business, his grandparents on a fifth honeymoon overseas, two other friends busy moving, and him watching movies by himself in his parents' cold bed.

Just him, huddled in the upward fetal position between two tan walls, in his pajamas and silly little hat slipping into his lap. Naruto sighed, finally giving into shifting on his side, staring blankly at the wall and thought the same thing over an over…

'_Don't you care…that I'm starting to get lonely…'_

He'd been thinking that for the last two weeks, and he still didn't know who he wanted to hear it.

* * *

Aw…I love making Naruto all cute and depressed.

Kera: Crazy. Person.

Hey Hey Hey Whoa Hey There Now Hey…I thought so.

Anyway! Yep just a few details—

1) For those of you are imagining Naruto with those adorable whiskers on his cheeks, stop imaging that! I plan on giving him his whiskers later…hehehe

2) Don't know if I needed to point this out or not but, Sasuke and Itachi actually act like good (hot) brothers toward each other. I'm keepin it that way .

I have spoken!

~_Gone head & swallow the rest a'them raindrops_


	4. I am Your Enemy

You know I just realized something! Naruto needs a rival, Sasuke certainly ain't it, & no ones in the mood for Sasuke/Sakura bullcrap…go on and piece that together.

Disclaimer: I have not yet gone to college, meaning I haven't gotten my medical degree, meaning any hospital cures, references, or Doctor/Nurse attitudes from the next chapter on out are simply one of the many pleasures of my noodle. Also! I'm not equipped in the knowledge of cars or trucks...you'll understand later.

_Day or year,_

_Announced boycott for me,_

_I do not understand how to live now._

_You cannot forgive me_

_-t.A.T.u-_

**Ch.4. I am Your Enemy**

* * *

Naruto awoke the same way he'd fallen asleep—an upward fetal position against the wall—to a soft knocking on the door. Groaning, he stretch out on the bed and walked toward the kitchen to grab the whip cream

People in this neighborhood knew when Naruto was alone in the house, and they made sure _he _knew they knew. At the tender age of eight Naruto had learned how to change the locks, repaint the house to hide the crude graffiti, and give the appearance of rabies.

(Hence the whip cream)

They never knocked that softy before though. And Naruto, being raised by television to see the good in everyone, decided to go with the simple whip-cream-in-the-ears trick. Minimal mess with maximum hilarity. Yawning, Naruto slapped his cheeks, filled the whip cream in his ears, and opened the door with a sick look.

"Gyah! My brains! My Brains are on fire!"

...Minato shook his head, "What a way to greet your Dad."

"Dad!" Naruto jumped into his Dad's open arms with joy.

"You had to switch the locks again?" Minato asked worriedly. The man had wanted to move so many times for the safety of his son but it was always, "_We can't move! This is our house! Me and Mom picked it out ourselves!" _or "_But if we move away I won't be able to walk to school with my friends..."_

Honestly, the thought of Naruto walking to school alone was what made him stay. (Naruto had still been in Kushina's womb when they'd seen the house, she'd told him when they walked by this house, he'd kicked)

"Just a caution." Naruto shrugged before wiggling to the ground and holding out those greedy little paws of his.

"Soo? Did you bring me something back?"

"First off, you didn't give Baa-Chan any grief while I was gone, did you?"

Naruto quaffed, "Who me? Never."

Minato shook his head. Naruto rule #48: _If you leave a family member as my authority figure to watch me, they will need therapy later on in life._

"Then of courseI brought you something."

"Lay it on me!"

In Naruto's hands appeared a tiny, red kitten with a big bushy tail. It looked up at him with big honey-crimson eyes and twitched his whiskers in acknowledgement. The boy laughed when it nudged under his chin and started to doze off in his arms.

"Sugoi!" He whispered, watching the kittens ears twitch, "This is the best Dad! Thanks a lot!"

Minato grinned, "So what're gonna name him?"

"Kyuubi."

"Kyuubi? Why Kyuubi?"

"Cause Gaara thinks his ol'Shukaka golden retriever is so great, I figure, more tails equals more power! Sides, he just looks like his name should be 'Kyuubi'. Minato covered his eyes and laughed, "Kyuubi it is then."

Naruto, minding the kitten, ran to his room and set it down on the end of his bed and back to the living room to see his Dad resting on the couch with his arms over his eyes."Aw come on old man, you just got back." He rolled over the back of the couch and flopped onto his Dad's stomach.

"Naruto-kun, I've been up since three this morning."

"So? We use to stay _up_' tilthree and wake up at six ready to get the day started."

Minato sighed and peaked out of one eye, getting caught in his sons' ultimate pout.

He caved.

"Alright, alright, sheath your weapon little ninja."

Naruto snickered in success, shifting to sit between his Dad's legs. The blonde man sat against the couches arm, resting his face on his palm.

"So, where do you feeling like going? Amusement Park? Ice cream?"

"Ichiraku's Ramen Bar!"

* * *

Teuchi Ichiraku smiled as his favorite customer came parading in all his orange jacket glory (he'd given the jacket as a prize for being his best customer) on his Father's shoulders'. The naturally acrobatic boy jumped from his Dad to his bar stool and grinned at the owner. "Ohayou Ichiraku-Ojii!"

"Welcome back you two. Naruto, the usual?"

"You bet!" Naruto preoccupied himself with the menu, missing the way Ichiraku's eyes narrowed. Minato sat in front him.

"Might wanna get that to go, Namizake-sensei."

The man leaned his head on his fist, surveying the number of people who'd suddenly found Naruto 'glare-worthy'. Nodding his thanks, he leaned over to his son."Naruto, don't you think Kyuubi might get lonely all by himself?"

The boy looked up, "Your right! Oi, Ichiraku-Ojii, ya' think next time I can bring Kyuubi? He's my new kitten. Dad got him for me."

"Why not? A pet of yours would probably put money in my pockets more than you two do. I'll have a bowl of miso soup ready for him."

Naruto grinned and slid off the seat with his ramen order in an orange cup. Taking a couple sips beforehan, he secured a seatbelt around it in the backseat of the car.

**...**

"When are you gonna let me drive?" Naruto asked, bored with trying to use ninja tactics to make the stoplight change colors.

"Oh in about 3 years to never."

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Dad, may you live long enough to delight my world with your jokes." Minato shook his head and smiled, "Maybe for your 16th birthday, you can take it out on a road trip."

Naruto's ''Awesome!" was lost on his tongue at the sound of a horn blaring behind him. Growling, he rolled down the window, "You're not making it any better Grandma!"

Minato laughed before speeding out when the light changed. Naruto, turning around to thank his Dad looked out the window, gasped in shock and made a grab for his Dad.

"Dad look ou-!"

A large, A&D moving truck was swerving out of control, its back end meeting its front and its horn blaring at them.

It slammed against the car with enough force to flip them on their side before landing awkwardly atop them.

_... ..._

"_Oh no!_

"_Look at all that damage…"_

"_Wasn't that Namizake-sensei's car?"_

... ...

Naruto had tasted enough his own blood: warm, battery tasting liquid to know he was bleeding heavily. It practically oozed from his temple. Easing one red covered eye opened, he noticed it was gravely dark, and he was seemingly hanging sideways on the ceiling.

"N-Naruto…"

The boy turned his stiff neck slowly and his eyes widened, his Dad's condition…was a horrible sight to him.

Minato's face was pinned against the bloody glass of a cracked window, right arm and both legs crushed under the steaming impact. He spat up a bit of blood and smiled crookedly.

"That's my boy. Hardly a scratch on you."

"Dad! Dad no!" He yelled hoarsely, writhing with a madman's strength trying his luck at getting enough feeling in his glass encrusted arms to remove his seatbelt.

"Naruto don't remove that belt! You'll get hurt."

"Dammit! How can you worry about me at a time like this!"

"Because…you're my son…when can I not worry about you?" Minato's attempt at a chuckle turned into a good dry cough.

"Dad?"

"Calm down…It's okay Naruto."

"No! What the hell part of this is okay?"

Minato bleary mind registered wetness on his cheek; his sons' tears were dripping onto him.

"I can't feel my legs." Minato noted.

"When we get out, we'll get you a wheelchair!"

"I can't feel my arm." Minato noted again.

"Then we'll…we'll get you a mechanical one! T-That'd be cool right Dad?" Naruto's voice was getting slightly weaker…or maybe it was just that way to Minato.

"I think…I've lost my sight and hearing on my…right side…" He wheezed out another cough.

"You've always been better on your left anyway!"

Minato laughed weakly at the solutions Naruto kept spitting out at his dazed realizations.

"Daddy," Naruto whined out sadly, more tears blinding his already obscured vision, "Daddy…please don't leave me…"

Minato shook his head, or at least he hoped he did, "Leave…you? No…no I'd never…leave…you…"

"Dad?"

Minato smiled one last time at his son, watching him lovingly,"Naruto…"

"Dad…"

_..._

No reply.

"…Daddy…?"

It was so quiet in here.

"Dad? Dad!"

Just like when Mom…

"_DAD!" _Naruto screamed out in anguish, writhing more before his body completely collapsed in sobs.

* * *

Minato awoke to a cold sensation. His once blank blue eyes opened with new clarity at the scene: A white sea of diamonds against a peach red sky.

'_Snow?' _He wondered, sitting up in its mounds against the cold bark of a tree. The blue of his sweater, and the brown of his work pants, had been changed into dark blue sweats underneath a long white jacket.

"Minato…well aren't you just a mess."

His head snapped up at the recognition of the voice.

"Kushina…"

Her hair billowed in the winds, almost dancing with them. Each strand perfectly tucked as always. Her soft smile warmed him, the way her hands drew through his hair now reminded him of the way they did then.

"Couldn't you've just died of old age?" She asked bemusedly, lowering to sit on her knees.

"Well you know me." He smiled.

Kushina shook her head before looking into his eyes with bright passion. "Tell me… were you happy?"

"Extremely." He'd felt no guilt in telling her this, "Naruto…he kept my days full of wonder." His eyes closed in pain, still feeling the wet sting of his…their sons' tears on his cheek.

Kushina held a hand to her chest, feeling a flutter that'd died in her heart a long time ago return for a painstakingly brief visit. "Naruto…my precious little boy…our Naru…" She tugged her husband up with her, tears pricking at the edges of her glowing blue-greens.

"Onegai…tell me how he's been."

So together, as husband and wife, Minato Namizake and Kushina Uzumaki walked hand-in-hand through their eternal frost…

…and spoke of their son. The Great Naruto.

* * *

Man I got a bit teary-eyed writing this chapter. & if you did to, well then I've done my job.

Kera: Noooo! You killed him!

…Kera go to your place.

Kera: Minato's pants were my happy place!

Well than go to Naruto's happy place!

Kera:…Sasuke's pants.

Yes. Go to Sasuke's pants. ((_like your gonna get pass all the Naruto proofness))_

-Oh! This dosen't _really _matter, but just in case you were wondering, those song lyrics at the top are actually just the english translations of one of t.A.T.u's full German songs. Ha, just plain pl'interesting to me.

_& Gone head and swallow 'dem raindrops now._


	5. Love The Way U Lie

Yes children, Minato is dead. But its not like we didn't see this coming, I have 3 ways of showing this: 1-He's not alive in the Anime…and I follow the Anime. 2-The genre was part Angst. Everyone has an angsty part to play. 3-I foreshadowed it the best vague way I could in the first chapter.

Also! You know what I found out-online I think every site I went to say they think Gaara's last name is ''of the sand'', I thought it was just his title -shrug-so I just made up his last name.

& so I present…chapter five.

_I can't tell you what it really is,_

_I can only tell you what it feels like,_

_And right now it's a steel knife in my windpipe._

_ **Ch.5. Love the Way U Lie**

* * *

Naruto awoke to a sea of white.

The smell of Limón pledge and fresh soap reminded him of the way Granny would smell before she retired in medicine, it made Naruto smile. "You awake?" A nostalgic squishy sound of a standard hospital 'pleather 'couch made Naruto turn his head away from the ceiling.

Sakura and Gaara each slept on a side of Temari's shoulders, her head resting atop her little brothers head. That's the second thing he saw; the first was a hunched over best friend staring intently at him. He looked dead tired, head on his folded hands, eyes double bagged. Their bleary eyes blinked in unison. Yet Naruto grinned.

"Sasuke…what's goin' on?"

But the question wasn't meant to be said like, 'Why am I here?', no only normal people ask that, Naruto on the other hand worded his as a light conversation, and that pissed Sasuke off. Here he was every day after school worrying and obsessing over the idiot's well-being, (seriously, what else was new) only to have him finally wake up and have the first thing come out of his mouth be equivalent to 'So how's about that weather?'.

"Oi? You in there, 'suke?"

Damn him. He'd known what he'd done and resorted to the nickname/innocently confused combo.

Sasuke sighed; in his weariness he didn't notice that sly smirk on Naruto's otherwise innocent face, before taking a seat on the bed and removing the bandage around the blonde's head. (Honestly getting a nurse in here the past month Naruto had been unconscious had been like pulling freaking teeth. They'd had to resort to Tsunade making sure his i.v. tube was checked regularly.)

Naruto shifted uncomfortably as Sasuke unwrapped a red spotted bandage from his forehead, grabbing his pale wrist before it withdrew and stared at the blood…something clicked…something about lots of blood…

"What's going on Sasuke? I can't…I mean I don't…"

Sasuke drowned in those sulking blue orbs, his eyebrows knitting in pain. That look made Naruto's heart skip; he hadn't seen such an emotional look pass Sasuke's face since the 2nd grade fangirl debacle.

"Don't…" Sasuke started, his eyes downcast, "don't make me say it…you gotta remember somethin', Naruto."

Flashes of smiling faces…a happy father…blaring horns…

'_Someone do something!'_

'_Isn't that Minato-sensei's car?'_…swerving…screeching tires…pain shooting through his soul…the taste of blood, and pain…the smile on his…his…

"Dad!" Naruto shot up despite the pain, the sound of his heart monitor picked up tempo as he looked blindly around.

"Where's Dad? Sasuke! Is he okay? He's okay right! Dad…Da-"

"Naruto."

The boy's frantic sight landed on Itachi in the doorway, his gaze steady and cool. When he got Naruto's attention, he shook his head at the question in those painfully cornflower blue eyes.

"No…no…" Naruto repeated that single word, bringing his head in between his shaking knees. Sasuke reached for his shoulder, but the sound of his heart monitor rising at an unhealthy rate made him pause. Itachi, now fully inside the room, pulled Naruto's violently convulsing form from his lap.

It was as if his eyes were trying to glue themselves to the back of his skull, the insides of his cheeks were getting a bite fest, and he was stuck on one syllable "N-".

"Oh God, what's happening to Naruto!" Temari cried, rushing with the others to his side, trying to hold his body down. Sasuke reluctantly ran out to the hallway in hopes in finding someone who actually give a damn about this room.

The sound of a shock pad heating up brought him back toward the room, with Naruto's visiting grandparents' behind him. He knocked the pads out of a startled pink haired girl' hands and glared fiercely at her.

"Just what the hell did you think you were about to do?"

Sakura felt small, like the first time she'd told Sasuke she'd liked him, "I…"

Tsunade pushed to two apart gently, "This isn't the time for a couple's quarrel. We all need to work together."

Naruto continued to convulse under everyone's struggle, "Let him go!" Jiraya instructed, learning a thing or two from his wife about medical technique.

"Sakura-san, come help me elevate his head. Itachi, you and Gaara-kun make sure no one gets in this room. Sasuke-kun, Temari-Chan, Jiraya…stay calm.''

Sasuke gripped Temari's hand in frustration and in hopes that it'd keep him from jumping to Naruto's aid.

* * *

Everyone now sat around Naruto's exhausted body, trying to relax. The sudden knock made them all jump.

"Everything all right in here?" A smiling Doctor and Nurse tam walked in as if without a care in the world. The room glared at them. Temari got up and jabbed a finger into Doctor Kabuto's chest. "What the hell kind of question is that? You know you _fucking heard us_!"

Nurse Anko smirked at the teen, pushing her hand away from the Doctor, "We were confident you could handle it."

Gaara snuck his grip onto his sister's elbow before it had a chance to collide with the women's nose, gesturing toward the heated Uchiha's. Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha had been notified by their oldest son of Naruto's now stable condition and had come to be with their unofficial son, so imagine their surprise at hearing the way he had been treated.

Mikoto Uchiha, a powerful scowl planted on her usually calm face. (you should _never_ get a usually calm women like Mikoto mad-family secret passed down through generations.)

"Pardon me, but it had come to my Husband's and mine's attention that your hospital hasn't been giving Naruto-kun the standard care. I would hate to think this true."

The delicate hand that had been placed on the Doctor's shoulder tightened considerably, making him flinch. Uchiha was a powerful connection; it was one of two wealthiest branches in K.I.T. You did _not _get on their bad side, you just didn't.

Sensing the impending doom, Nurse Anko grabbed Naruto's chart and flipped through it. "O-Oh, this is Naruto _Uzumaki _Namizake, we were thinking this was…the other Naruto-"

"So you treat other patients like this as well then?" Fugaku asked, his stiff form looming over them, his eyes almost red with calm rage. The pair gulped.

"W-we try not to sir…we're just so swamped lately-"

"We were always orderly when I was in charge." The voice of 'Lady Tsunade' washed behind them, her husband patted down harshly on their shoulders'.

"Why don't we explain to them how it's done Honey?"

"Why I'd be delighted, care to join us, Mr. Uchiha? Mrs. Uchiha?"

"We'd be delighted!" Mikoto brightened, latching on to her Husband and the Suna siblings before exiting the room.

Sasuke glanced at Sakura briefly, and a thought crossed him...what was the attraction he'd had for her some two months ago? He honestly couldn't remember…just one day he thought '_well she seems nice enough..Naruto seems to like her.'_

Oh. It was because Naruto had liked her. It was because _Naruto _had found her something interesting. It was because _Naruto _told him he'd gotten over his crush on her.

It was because _he _liked _Naruto_.

Yet he'd dated Sakura. Why?

Maybe it was because he didn't want to end up like his lovesick bisexual older brother…no…he'd had no problem with Itachi's sexual preference, if anything it made him respect the guy even more. Maybe he wanted his Mother and Father to have a more stable hope for future grandchildren…it was a good reason, he was sure.

Except his Father, while seemingly cold to the touch, gave Naruto such a heartwarming smile you'd think he'd borrowed it from Mother—while Sakura was lucky enough to get the man in the same room before they left on their outings.

That was another thing. Sasuke couldn't remember he_ himself_ ever calling what he and Sakura went out on as 'dates'. His friends got 'dates', Naruto got 'dates', Sakura got 'outings'.

_The truth was...Sasuke had long ago..._

"Sasuke-kun?'' The girl smiled at him with a pink tinted blush, wondering how long he had been watching her.

Maybe…the very _root _of his problem was…he wasn't good enough for Naruto…maybe he thought the very closet he could get to Naruto loving him…was Sakura, the girl Naruto had pined for, loving him. He marveled at such a selfish way of thinking.

"Sasuke?" He turned to Naruto, he's cute drowsy smile and clear, tan cheeks regaining color.

_...fallen for him...fallen for..._

"Naruto! Thank goodness, are you okay?" Sakura pushed herself from the couch and felt Naruto's forehead. A pang of jealously wrinkled through Sasuke's body.

"Sakura," he began with a deep tone, "go find something for Naruto to drink."

She smiled, "Right." Giving the blonde cutie a smile she made her departure, closing the door gently.

Sasuke sat beside Naruto again, and the boy frowned in his direction.

"Jeez Teme you could be a little nicer, while I was asleep I heard Jiraya Jii mention I've been here for like a month, you'd think in all that time you'd learn to get that stick outta' your ass. Man, if Sakura was my girl-"

"You'd what?" Sasuke voice was still low as he shifted on the mattress, seemingly closer to Naruto, "What would you do if you were dating her? Hm? Show her off, take her out on 'dates', make her feel like she was the only person in a crowded room?"

Naruto nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah, yeah! Ooh, but my favorite would be just knowing I could just kiss her anytime of the-"

Anything Naruto could've said was swallowed by the press of Sasuke's lips on his own. It wasn't the first time he'd kissed a guy, let alone Sasuke, so it wasn't surprising per say, just a bit uncalled for. So when the kiss withdrew from itself, the innocently confused boy said what any person would say in that moment.

"The hell was that for?"

_Ouch_. Okay, not exactly the reaction he'd been hoping for.

'_Well what did you expect? You left your best friend for a month in a half to play 'tidily winks' with some chick.'_

(Not that tidily winks meant sex or anything…he just watched a lot of 50's shows)

"Naruto-kun, you're awake. How are you feeling?"

"Fugaku-sama!"

The Uchiha stronghold feigned a hurt look, "What, no 'Pa'suke' for me?"

That was Naruto's niche; he unintentionally _made_ people love him. He made married women swoon, (made boys turn to yaoi) and made grown men want to keep promises made long ago.

…Yet there were so many people would never get to feel that radiant smile touch their soul, to afraid of their overlapping bias to get to know Naruto past his reputation. They'd never reach the valley known as Naruto's heart.

It made the Uchiha family feel blessed.

"Gomen! The lack of ramen in my blood is making me dizzy. All Temari brings me is fruit'n some nasty tasting chocolate wrapped _vitamins_. Itachi keeps bringing tomatoes!"

Fugaku chuckled with a shake of his head. After a while Sasuke silent stare made him exit from the room, deciding his son was in the middle of something important.

Naruto waved at the man before returning his frowning gaze to Sasuke.

"So? What was that about?"

Sasuke shrugged, "Just…thought it'd get your mind off things. Worked didn't it?"

Naruto grimaced, not trusting the answer one bit.

"I guess…just warn me next time."

Sasuke smirked when the blonde's thoughts caught up with his mouth and that nice red blush painted over his face.

"N-Not that there's gonna _be _a next t-time! S-Stop smirking Teme!"

* * *

Meh..I like the way it started _buuut _not really feleling the ending. See if I were cruel I would've left it at the kiss but nah, I wasn't feeling in the cliffhanger mood. Maybe next chapter.

Oh a peek at next chapter: _"...Naruto stared at the smirk, heart broken..."What...did you say?" _

Yep! Thats all for now.^^

_Talkin all that Swallowin Raindrops blah blah blah _


	6. Love, Sex, and Magic

I feel like i'm early! ...Okay I don't, I feel like i'm late. But this chapter was worth it! I think it came out pretty okay...possibly...well atleast Kera liked it!

Kera: _Liked_ is such a strong word, sweetie.

Ohh, go suck on a shoe.

Disclaimer: Yeah I own them, everyone in Konoha is totally my bitch. *hears everyone in Konoha sharpening their weapons* Kidding! Kidding...

And now presenting-**Chapter 6- Love, Sex, and Magic** ..._now in __Technicolor_

* * *

_Your touch is so magic to me,_

_the Strangest things can happen_

_the way that you react to me,_

_I wanna do something you can't imagine._

_-Ciara ft. Justin Timberlake-_

... ... ...

The last two weeks of Naruto's life could be described as one word.

**Hell**

His first few days had been fine; he readjusted to life outside a hospital bed, shoved a couple dozen ramen down his throat, and enjoyed a sleep over courtesy of Mr. and Mrs. Haruno.

Then came that foggy, Sunday morning when Naruto had woken up, fed his feline pal, called for his Dad to come enjoy a huge breakfast he'd prepared all by himself…and Mr. Reality came to shove a big foot up his ass.

Naruto felt it best to stay in bed the rest of that day. And on that note, he skipped the first two days he was expected back at school. Maybe he'd even skip the rest of his year…

"**NARUTO**! The next time the school calls _me_ about _you_ skipping school, your testicles will be the new lin-"

Rather than being scarred for life, Naruto decided to hang up the phone there and get ready for school.

After that, Thursday rolled around with him entering the sliding doors of knowledge, greeted with a happy grin from his homeroom teacher Iruka-sensei, (though for reasons unknown the crazy science teacher with a mask, Kakashi-sensei, always called him Dolphin.) then things got weird.

He sat by Sasuke, nothing weird there, no the weird part was Sasuke just kept staring at him, whether he was aware Naruto knew or not, he just kept staring.

It kinda felt like he was staring at his nose. Which would be weirder-but, hey, this was Sasuke he was talking about.

Things didn't get anymore normal when class had been let out. Naruto had been walking to his locker, when a random hand yanked him into a well-lit janitor's closet and made out with him for a good seventeen seconds before letting him breathe.

* * *

"Teme! What the hell!"

"Must you be so loud?"

"Oh pardon me! The next time someone molests me in a closet I'll be sure to remember the advice!"

Naruto pulled away from the boys vice grip on his shoulder and glanced worriedly at Sasuke while wiping his lips on his (out of ''dress code'') jacket.

"What's with you, Sasuke? First the kiss at the hospital now random janitor lip lock? Sakura-Chan won't be happy if she catches you-"

"I don't care."

"Ara?" Naruto blinked, Sasuke's tone had been rather…hollow despite that…for lack of a better word-_weird_ fire burning in his eyes.

"I don't care," the Uchiha repeated, "my main concern is you."

The blonde boy resisted the urge to chuckle, "Your main concern is me? When did you become such the sap?"

Sasuke glared before trapping the smaller teen between himself and the peeling brown wall, slamming his fist on the side of Naruto's head.

"You don't get it."

His azure eyes returned the heated gaze, shoving the raven haired boy away from him slightly.

"Damn right I don't get it! What gives you the right to just kiss anyone you want! I thought I got you out of the whole 'I'm an Uchiha, fear me, Grr.' stage but it seems I have a lot more work to do-"

Just as Sasuke was about to plant another one on him, Naruto pushed the guys' pale lips away from his face.

"Stop doin' that Teme! What if someone barged in-"

"I hope someone will."

"What? You're not making sense! You want someone to walk in on us makin' out? That'd ruin your rep-"

"Usuratonkachi."

Naruto glared, "Don't call me that you Bastard."

"Do you realize I called you that twelve times yesterday and you didn't once make a scene?"

...

The boy blinked. Had Sasuke really called him that the other day?

"No way, I definitely would've kicked your ass." His answer was solemn it didn't have a spark of happiness or attitude—in other words, it hadn't had a hint of 'Naruto' in it.

"The others haven't noticed," Sasuke approached his friend with an almost prowl like grace, "but I have. I noticed it the moment you got out of the hospital."

"…What exactly is it that you noticed, Sasuke?"

"The dead looks, the lack of enthusiasm, avoiding invites to anyone's house, trying to make it home quicker… Naruto, he's not coming back."

"Urusai…"

"He's not gonna be there when you look up, not when you get up in the morning-"

"Urusai!"

"He's not gonna be there when you get home! Minato is _dead_!"

"Don't you think I know that?"

The pain of standing, of breathing, of blinking weighed Naruto's body down, and he collapsed with an angry choke into Sasuke stoic friend held him tight, tighter than he'd ever held anything. He perhaps even relished in the feeling.

Naruto weakly beat his fists on Sasuke's shoulders, "I know he's dead…he's dead…"

_Because of me._

"…and he's never coming back…there's no one to protect me anymore Sasuke…"

_If only it were me instead. I just want the pain to stop. _"Sasuke...make it stop..."

"Dobe." Sasuke moved Naruto's forehead to his own, watching his eyes glow with the wash of tears. "My main concern is you."

And this time…when those lips brushed against his own, Naruto didn't move away. But more…weird parts were yet to come, believe it or not.

* * *

Days in school rolled by as slowly as they always did, but now Naruto had added on his schedule 'when he would be pulled to a dark corner and kissed senseless by a teme.'

Unfortunately, this was becoming the highlight of his day. Well, that and science class.

He sat next to this annoying guy named Rock Lee, and of course Sasuke. Lee was a sports fanatic; Gai-Sensei's star pupil (that's what you call kiss ass in Konoha Jr. High) and a total slave to Sakura despite her numerous declines of ever dating him.

Still, bushy brow was persistent; you had to give him that.

It was at that moment **_the note_** decided to tickle a certain cornflower blue eyed boy's knuckle.

'_**What are you doing later**?_'

'_Maa, Sasuke has such girly hand writing_.' He thought with a snicker before writing down his reply.

'**_Itachi-Nii is gonna take me out to lunch. He didn't tell you_**?'

Naruto added that last line for a good laugh, seeing Sasuke pop a blood vessel was almost as enjoyable as kissing… okay, he would never acknowledge thinking that last part.

He watched Sasuke from his blue peripheral, noticing with glee that Sasuke eyebrow had ticked slightly and his written response was possibly torturing that poor paper.

'_**Change your plans. I feel like going to a movie**_. '

'**A movie sounds excellent! What a great way to enjoy youth**!'

Sasuke read the reply with a questionable glance towards Naruto. The blonde pointed (with an embarrassed thumb) toward their grinning interruption.

"Lee, you're not invited." Naruto whispered with an apologetic grin. Lee blinked.

"Oh my apologies. I didn't know you were going out together. Does that mean Sakura-san is free tonight?"

"Sure." Sasuke shrugged before turning his attention back to the board, trying to fight his smirk at Naruto's expression.

"It's not a date!"

Kakashi-Sensei looked back at his white board with a lazy glance.

"Ah, you're right Naruto. It's actually a configuration, good job. I didn't know you were so passionate as to get out of your seat about it though…"

Naruto sat down with a glare set on Sasuke, and anyone in class who was snickering.

* * *

That night as Sasuke walked down the street to Naruto's house, he thought of normal things—what movie would Naruto like to see? How early should we get there? Should we go to dinner first or second?—all the normal things a giddy teenage girl such as himself would think of.

Sasuke glared at the wry sense of humor his mind had just honed on him, and proceeded to Naruto's house.

The stoic boy never ceased to be amazed when walking to Naruto's. All the houses would be white and perfectly balanced then 'bam' you were stuck staring at the loud red house with crimson red windows and doors. Little 'Uzumaki' swirls cut into all the hedges and mailbox. Sasuke grimaced when he saw yet another note posted near the house, spray painted on the walkway.

_Traitor. Murderer_.

There was also a bit of slander smeared in red paint all over the door.

Hopefully the gunk had been sprayed after Naruto got into his house, with any luck he and Gaara could come sometime early the next morning and lift it with a bit of bleach-paint thinner mix.

But that was beside the point, where was that loudmouth obsession of his anyway? The porch light was on, as well as the kitchen light but the house seemed dead silent.

Dead silent…wrong choice of words.

'_Try the backyard, genius.'_

Why that snide little voice in the back of his head sounded like Neji, he'd never know. Nevertheless, Sasuke wandered into Naruto's backyard.

It wasn't a normal looking backyard of course. Normal wasn't normal enough for an Uzumaki.

While everyone else in the neighborhood had a square acre with a white picket fence bordering their gardens', _someone _had plucked all the fence boards so they'd create a wide circle. Not only that, but a bunch of hoodlums had stopped to paint each board different shades of oranges, blues, reds, purples, yellows and pinks.

Sasuke hoped whatever bunch of kids did that certainly got a_ stern_ talking to from their older brothers'…if they had them, that is.

The young brunette bypassed most of the scattered gardening tools to walk farther into garden, now hearing the sound of a strangely familiar car.

Of course, how could he have forgotten? It was the original 'spaceship' after all. Back when Mrs. Uzumaki had been alive (gods that seemed like forever ago) she would take the boys out for a new mission in her beat up Subaru. Despite his Uchiha status, younger Sasuke would immensely enjoy the bumpy rides. Every twist, turn, and speeding ticket was logged away permanently in his memory.

But was it running? No matter how soft, Sasuke could never mistake that engine purring.

Taking a closer inspection (because Uchiha's didn't do curiosity) he peaked through the passengers' window, guessing Naruto was behind it; probably listening to old CD's, dancing like a regular goofball.

Well Naruto was in their, but he certainly was listening to music, nor being a goofball.

His best friend resided on the driver's side, hunched up in the fetal position in a light blue jogging suit that was about two sizes to big.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed in worry and he clicked his nails against the window in hopes of acknowledgement.

When Naruto looked up, Sasuke's heart nearly wretched in his chest.

The sunflower blonde's hair flopped in front of his usual blue eyes, which were the color of a dimmed hallway and he showed no flinch of even knowing who Sasuke was. But the heartbreaking part was Naruto's face.

His beautiful face was bloody, drowning in the crimson tears of what looked to be three identical scratch marks lining slightly diagonally to his mouth. Sasuke could only guess the same could be said for Naruto's right cheek.

Getting over his shock, Sasuke began banging against the door handle (ah, yet another moment where Itachi's special 'unused' ninja kit would've been so useful) before trying a different approach.

Slinging his arm back and punching through the glass. Right now, Naruto's blood spilling was more important than his own.

He found the door latch, unlocked it, and all but jumped in the seat to pull the dobe into a brutal embrace.

"Damn Dobe! Do you have some kind of a death wish?"

Sasuke moved back slowly, catching some of Naruto's blood on himself. The blonde smiled in a sort of 'creepy dolls eyes that follow you around the room' fashion toward his ebony embodiment of a best friend.

"Mom…" he whispered, as if it were a secret to be shared only between them, "I did it."

"Did? Did what, Naruto?"

Hollow laughter spilled from Naruto's lips, it almost sounded demonic. It was so unlike Naruto.

"Mom, you're so silly. I made him happy. I made Dad happy. I don't know how, but he finally smiled at me."

It was such a dead smile, they were such dead eyes…before him was a dead Naruto. Something felt like it slid, literally _slid _within Sasuke and he suddenly found himself…dare he even think it…_tearing up_?

"Don't cry Mom. I know you're proud of me. You probably started doubting I'd ever accomplish—"

"Shut up!"

His voice came out amazingly wavered; Sasuke doubted it was even his at first. One tear, then two, after five he'd lost count and simply crushed the blonde to him.

"Naruto…please…"

"…S-Sasuke? ...Sasuke...my face hurts _a lot_... what's wrong?"

He laughed, Naruto was dampening his shirt, and he was dampening Naruto's hair. It was such an un-Uchiha like position that he had to laugh.

"You have got to be the biggest Dobe I have ever met in my life."

* * *

Any misspellings ((-thats actually how its spelled, so many double letters)) were totally Kera's fault.

I _suppose _I like this ending, honestly i'm just happy I found a way to fill in all that empty space before finally adding the sappy scene. This lil'story of mine keeps making want to make a side fic about all their childish mishaps. Maybe I will when this is finished, I don't want so many unfinished projects. So many author notes...-shudders-

The song _kiiiiiind _of went with how I wanted this chapter to fill out. Next chapter brings Naruto back to the hospital, Sakura's back in the picture ((I didn't notice until just now how Sakura-less this chapter is)) and finally the-the-the _Rivalry _out of the title.


	7. Just Breathe

_Author's note: __**Finally Buckled Down And Typed Out This Story Instead Of Just Writing It! Hoorah for me, seriously. I figured, 'S.R, you're already putting **"A.W.o.a.D"_** on hold, you could atleast finish up the other two stories...that crated pressure...that created laziness to type...that created the long pause.**

**Honestly, I didn't know exactly how many people actually read this, so I figured (again) hey no rush, just write it out, type it later, hope for reviews, yada, yada.**

**-sigh- My fault. I just kept writing it out and writing it out, NOT REALIZING that everything I write MUST EVENTUALLY BE TYPED...started passing out frequently after that.**

**So now i'm back, (from outer space) and starting back up on updating both stories. **_'Dn, Tf' _**next chapter might look like filler, because it probably was at the time. But it's the good kind of filler thast keeps you coming back for more, I hope.**

**Quick note: Did anyone notice that I call myself S.r and this story is nicknamed 'S&r'? Neither did I!**

**Quicker note: Did anyone also notice I changed the summary from whatever it use to be to now being a trilogy story? Yeaaah. Down time is sometimes a good thing huh? Now this story has got definate beginning, middle, and end unity going on AND it gets to come back for two more seasons. Can I get a 'wut wut'? :D ...**

**...No? Fine then, go read your story. -pouts-**

* * *

_Did I say that I need you?_

_Did I say that I want you?_

_Oh, if I didn't I'm a fool you see…_

_No one knows this more than me_

_-Pearl Jam-_

_ **Ch.7. Just Breathe**

Mikoto Uchiha liked to believe that she had mastered the art of calm.

She was polite, attentive, social, and-after living in a house of nothing but Uchiha men after pausing her career as a preschool teacher-very patient.

You had to be all these things when being both courted by a successful Uchiha, then giving birth to two of his more or less anti-social boys.

But as Sasuke, her baby, walked into the kitchen to find her chopping through her favorite cutting board, he believed that today was perhaps the day Mikoto Uchiha's calm aura had decided to abandon her.

"Um...M-"

"What?" Mikoto snapped, whipping around to point the knife at whoever dared disrupt her cutting. Seeing it was just the twitching form of her youngest born made her lower the offending utensil.

"Oh, sorry Dear, I thought you were your father."

Because then it would be...okay.

Shaking his head, Sasuke moved beside his mother for a quick rummage through the fridge.

"Any particular reason you feel like knifing Father, or is this one of those marriage things?"

"Now dear you should know by now if it was a marriage thing my choice of weapon would the egg beater."

"My apologies."

Mikoto let out a sigh, signaling the beginnings of quite a story and Sasuke, taking pity on his Mother, hopped onto the counter beside her with a tiny 'I'm listening' smile.

Known to get a tad animated when telling stories, Mikoto deposited the knife in the sink and scooting to sit on the soft oak counter, her individual toed socks childishly sweeping against the floor.

"Your Father took Itachi to some last minute business meeting, did he tell you?"

Sasuke nodded, making his Mother giggle when a bit of water dribbled down his chin from the bottle his currently sipped.

"So while fixing that atrocious knot he calls a tie, I may have mentioned going by the hospital while he was out, to see Naruto-kun."

Mikoto paused respectably. She knew her son would want to say something, and then opt for keeping quiet until he got every detail, because that was how she raised him.

"I foolishly believed that after..." Mikoto waved her hand in the air, trying to grasp at something that eluded her.

"Thirty-five years, Mother."

"Thank you. Thirty-five years of marriage would make Fu see that I am perfectly capable of handling myself and don't need to be watched like some rich housewife."

"Except you are-"

"Yes, yes, I know. Don't be smart."

"Of course not, _Madame_'."

Mikoto bumped her son's shoulder, doing nothing but making his smirk wider.

"Any who, he and Itachi took all the spare keys and told the neighbors not to let me borrow their cars. _All _of the neighbors. I checked."

"Father might just be looking out for you."

"Hn. How do you figure that?"

"Well... we've always presented ourselves toward Naruto as a family right? A home away from home?"

Mikoto nodded.

"So for you to go off on your own might make Father feel..."

His mother tried to contain her sudden laughter with a hand, but it still leaked out.

"You mean to tell me...that Fugaku Uchiha, your _Father_, might get jealous?"

Sasuke shrugged and hopped off of the counter with his mother, bumping her back before heading into the living room.

Mikoto shook her head in amusement before continuing with her dinner preparations.

"What a man I married." She snickered.

"Took you long enough."

Sasuke tossed the water bottle to the rosette haired girl on the sofa before taking his seat between her and the armrest.

"You nearly drained it!" Sakura cried in astonishment.

"Look on the bright side."

"Which would be?"

Sasuke spared her a glance before pressing play on the remote.

"No backwash."

Sakura shook her head, tipping the bottle back for the remaining water, "You're hopeless, Sasuke-kun."

A week of over-stressed Sasuke made for a very worried Sakura who, after being well-mentioned by Tsunade thanks to a still bedridden Naruto, became a nurse-in-training at the hospital with high hopes of being close to her best friend.

Her first day she was lucky, because they immediately assigned her to Naruto's room.

_"No one else wants to deal with him, so it might as well go to a newbie."_

That little quip had almost gotten her fired, when the squeaky sounding nurse told on their superiors for Sakura accidently blacking her eye.

In all fairness, Sakura didn't do it on purpose.

_"I was aiming for her nose; she just sat down to quickly."_

She explained to Tsunade, earning a very encouraging smile from the medical hero _and _Sasuke.

It was a win-win-win.

In the beginning, it had frightened Sakura to see Naruto in such painful attacks, more often than not she would be found in one of the employee only stalls puking up what little lunch she'd eaten.

Seeing the happy, bright boy she'd grown to love reacting such a way to his father's death pushed her. It pushed her hard.

But it pushed her in the right direction. She needed to be strong for her friend, just like everyone else.

So while obeying his wishes to keep Sasuke at arm's length for a while, she read up on medical books, and visited the Uchiha household every other day with status reports on Naruto's well-being.

She didn't know what to classify herself in regards to Sasuke's older brother and father, seeing as their glares had lightened up _slightly _since she'd started the routine, but in Mrs. Uchiha and Sasuke's eyes she could see a warm friendship.

There in lied a problem itself.

At first glance, their relationship was prospering and Sakura couldn't be happier, while a closer look would show nothing but Sakura's heart in anguish.

She didn't know when she figured out Sasuke's true feelings for Naruto, or how long she'd ignored it, but it was there, blaring in her face.

Sasuke was in love with Naruto.

And maybe Naruto felt the same, but was just to busy or blind to take notice.

She knew she wasn't wrong on Sasuke's part though, she was after all a devoted Sasuke Fan girl for most of her adolescence. Sakura was convinced the only one who didn't see his feelings was the one they were directed toward.

"Sakura. The movie's over."

Her eyes widened. Had she been out of it that long?

"S-So it is."

Sakura leaned back, arms comfortably crossed, and waited. Something was definitely bugging the girl, and during the course of their 'relationship' Sasuke could admit that it helped their friendship. He'd always felt strained to really be friends with her, despite her insistent trying, since the girl's affection for him was so obvious and sometimes when they would talk it was like molding clay. She took each one of his little quips to heart and changed herself accordingly.

_"What do you think, Sasuke-kun?" She asked one night while they were having dinner at her parents'' house. _

_He looked up briefly from his plate before shrugging._

_"Cutting your hair might make you look taller, I guess."_

After a while, he'd just chalked it up to her being thoughtful in her own weird way. Maybe she thought it'd make him feel good knowing there was someone taking what he said into serious consideration.

It was kind of an ego boost on his part.

"Sasuke-kun, you can tell me things, you know."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Things about Naruto, I mean."

The credits on the television seemed to blur as the two sat tensely on the couch, Sasuke looking straight ahead at them and Sakura looking down at her skirt.

"Things?"

"Things...like...y-your feelings."

Sasuke snorted, "Why tell someone something they already know?"

He hoped it didn't sound as harsh to Sakura as it had to him. He really did.

He saw her tiny smile reflecting on the screen.

"You're right."

Because to Sakura, Sasuke was always right. He was the perfect specimen; everything he did had a reason behind it, a higher purpose that someone like Sakura couldn't even begin to understand.

She gripped the hem; bit her lip to keep from crying.

Sasuke slowly uncrossed his arms, tensing up more. He was terrible with _words _and _feelings _per se, but Sakura was a friend, and he had to say something.

He just drew a blank on what that something was.

"Did I..." she spoke up, "Did I ever stand a chance?"

"...It wasn't a competition."

"If it had been?"

His silence was louder than anything he could've said, and Sakura looked at him with a strained smile and tears streaming down her cheeks.

What little romance they had shared, for what little relationship they had started, had made Sakura extremely happy. It made her even happier when Sasuke laid his hand atop her head.

"Don't mind me, Sasuke-kun." She covered her eyes with her fists, but the tears leaked through, "I'm happy to have been by your side. Even when you loved someone else, being beside you was enough. Naruto is...a great person."

Naruto was someone she loved too, not as fiercely as her love for Sasuke-nothing could compare to that-but loved him all the same.

It probably would've been easier on her to just hate him. Just grow livid with rage and do everything in her power to destroy Naruto and everything he stood for.

That plan was tossed out the window the moment she met him, the moment she caught a glimpse of those sapphire eyes of his when alight with joy.

Naruto had saved her, in every sense of the word, from herself and she loved him dearly for it.

Sakura thought briefly of a life without Naruto, a path down the road of Fan girl Sakura, a path of the Sasuke Fanclub, and the thought sickened her.

In a sudden desperation to know that she hadn't mistakenly chosen that path, she reached up and gripped Sasuke's hand with her own two.

Her voice hiccupped and wavered but Sasuke could hear, "I'm going to borrow your lap for a minute, Sasuke-kun."

He nodded his approval and Sakura folded on her side, face pressed slightly above his knees, and let her tears darken and her sobs muffle his baggy sweat pants.

"Itai! You did that on purpose you old hag!"

Tsunade's brow twitched as she drowned another cotton ball in antiseptic and pressed it against her grandson's cheek.

"Kuso!"

"You're punishing the boy, my little _Hime Suraggu_." Jiraiya cooed from behind his magazine, narrowly missing the syringes now pinned to the wall beside him.

"Like he doesn't deserve it!" His wife glowered.

"He does," Jiraiya spoke offhandedly, "But save some action for me. We do have to let him leave the hospital alive."

Tsunade mumbled darkly, adjusting on the comfortable work stool she had 'borrowed' from a random doctor's office.

Naruto was about to make a snide remark, but paused when his Granny pinned him with a very concerned stare.

"Naruto…how would you feel about us moving here for a while, living with you?"

For the time being they had been staying at one of their old friends' house, closer to the hospital.

"Eh? Why would you move all the way here?"

"Well, because we love you, and we want to keep an eye on you."

"The Uchiha's keep an eye on me. I'm fine living on my own."

"Obviously not." Jiraiya spoke up, hand flipping to the next page of his readings.

Naruto ignored that comment in favor of his own, "What would happen to your old house?"

Jiraiya shrugged, "We'd sell it, most likely."

"That can't happen."

Tsunade shared a look of surprise with her husband. Naruto continued.

"That house has a lot of fun memories…it's the place you had Dad and where he met Mom. So…that can't happen."

"We can't afford to leave you on your own anymore Naruto," Tsunade raised her voice, "It's becoming dangerous."

"So what, you don't trust me?"

"I didn't say that!"

"But you were thinking it!"

"Enough!" Jiraiya slammed the magazine down, parting the infuriated blondes," Both of you just calm down."

He stared down his grandson, "We're only looking out for you, Naruto."

Naruto pouted, opting to gaze at his dingy blankets, "I know that."

"The way you've been dealing with your Father's death…it's not healthy."

"…I know that."

"How would you feel about therapy, Naruto?" Tsunade quietly intervened, shocked when the boy suddenly grab her shoulders.

"I…I'm not crazy!" He pleaded with her to believe him.

Tsunade slowly embraced his tiny form, "No one thinks you are, Otamajakushi."

Jiraiya smirked. She hadn't called Naruto that since he was four years old.

"It's just; maybe you'd feel better talking to someone who isn't familiar to you."

Naruto leaned slightly out her arms and thought it over.

Maybe talking to someone he didn't know would be a good thing. There were things going on he couldn't very well explain to himself, let alone his friends. He didn't feel right talking to his grandparents about his Dad; they probably didn't have time to grieve because they'd been taking care of him.

Granny was taking care of funeral arrangements; the higher ups at his Dad's job had been hounding Jiraiya to take over the business instead of just becoming the temporary overseer.

…Had it really only been three weeks since that moment where time had stopped for him and his Dad's life? Had he really survived, if he could call _this_ surviving, without his Dad for three weeks?

When was the last time he listened to his Dad's voicemails?

"_I'll be home soon, kiddo."_

"_Don't forget to unlock the door, Naru."_

"_Love you, kiddo."_

"_Even thinking of bringing you a gift back, if I feel up to it."_

When was the last time he paid attention to Kyuubi? Did he feed him before trying to lock himself in that old car?

"Kyuubi..."

His grandparents shared a look. Calling for his kitten was unexpected.

"Naze sore ga sonnami itamimasu ka?"

Tsunade gazed sadly at him when the boy slouched over to hide his tears. She didn't have the answers for he needed and it felt awful. She had married into the Namizake name, but not before knowing they were notorious for being pillars of guidance and strength. She'd learned much later, when her late son had decided Kushina Uzumaki was the one, that the Uzumaki men preferred a much more laid back way. They battled any emotions that sought to take away from their normal carefree and outgoing nature.

Her grandson was the first and only blend of the two, going through an inner battle that desperately needed an outlet, and it pained Tsunade to know she wasn't what he needed in this fight; only an outside source, a perhaps with experience in this kind of thing, could be of help to her dearest grandson.

Naruto was a blown glass that was close to shattering.

"...Naze watashi wa so yowai nodesu ka..." Naruto sat up slowly, hands now holding Tsunade's softly.

...

He looked up. Determination scorched through his eyes, lighting them to a shade of blue neither grandparent could say they'd ever witnessed until now. Tsunade would bet money that she wasn't halluecenating when she saw the wispy figures of her son and daughter-in-law standing proudly behind their son.

Naruto gave them his oldest, cheekiest grin, a beautiful sight indeed, and said, "I'll do it. Whatever you want me to do, i'm all in. Dattebayo!"

* * *

**Before you ask!**

***Naze sore ga sonnami itamimasu ka? = **_Why does it hurt so much?_

***...Naze watashi wa so yowai nodesu ka... = **_...Why am I so weak..._

...

**That is, according to Google Translate anyway.**

**Typo? Part you didn't understand/couldn't visualize? Worth the wait? Help me help you, people. I personally liked it, especially the SasuSaku part, just incase I had/have any SasuSaku fans reading this...for some reason...how'd you like their moment? **

**I try not to hate Sakura so much, but...its not really that I _hate _her, no, its just Sakura dissapoints me at times. FOR EXAMPLE by now everyone has seen the killing of Danzo (now him I hated) and Sakura coming after Sasuke afterwords right? If not, spoiler alert, get out of here, if so, I was _rooting so HARD _for a good Sasuke vs. Sakura mini fight and in the course of her finding Sasuke she manages to get saved like FIVE TIMES AND EVEN HESITATED TO EVEN STAB HIM!**

**That, people, was dissapointing.**

**ALSO one of the latest episodes, once again spoiler maybe get out now, when Naruto returns from talking to the head honcho frog to report to Tsunade and the whole him fighting Sasuke, Sakura's over on the side thinking, "**_If they get in a fight, which one will I save first..."_

**Once again, dissapointment.**

**Then I thought, Hey! Maybe Kishimoto-sama is doing this on purpose! Yeah? Maybe he's just trying to smoothly eliminate the only real rival for SasuNaru fans (sorry Hinata, you're my favorite female character, but you and Naruto will never blossom as long as Sasuke's in the picture) so he can get to the lovu lovu!**

**That kept me going.**

**...Was that a rant? I couldn't tell, I was in the zone. **

_...Love Pearl Jam...you will not swallow anymore raindrops if you do not._


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